Cancun, Quintana Roo — The upcoming World Cup could deal a blow to tourism in the Mexican Caribbean rather than bring in more visitors as expected, according to Francisco Fernandez, president of the Nautical Associates of Quintana Roo.
Fernandez said the dynamics of international travel will turn Cancun into an air transit hub, but that does not mean it will become a destination where visitors stay.
“I feel this time it will be very counterproductive for our destination. They say we are close to 5 million passengers, of which those coming for the World Cup will only make transfers at the airport — they arrive from all over the world, get off the plane, hop on another flight, and leave the destination,” he explained.
The occupied seats, he argued, represent travelers who under normal circumstances would have come to Cancun as conventional tourists. But with that airline capacity being used to move fans between host cities, the destination would lose visitors who generate local economic revenue through lodging, nautical services, and recreational activities.
The outlook for the summer season is also not encouraging, as domestic tourists who usually vacation in Cancun might redirect their spending toward tickets for matches in other cities.
“It will be a high season, but I feel it will be low and really flat. Let’s hope it doesn’t affect us too much and we see what happens,” he said.
